What do you call a written legal document that includes the name of each person who maintains physical control over an item of evidence?

• A. Evidence log
• B. Incident report
• C. Property receipt
• D. Chain of custody

Answer: (D)

The main idea is tracking who has held the evidence at every step. A chain of custody is the formal written record that shows, for each item, every person who maintained physical control, along with dates, times, locations, and the reason for each transfer, with signatures. This creates an unbroken trail from collection through analysis to storage, preserving the evidence’s integrity and its admissibility in court. An evidence log lists items and their status, but doesn’t always capture the signed sequence of custodians. An incident report describes what happened, and a property receipt notes possession but not ongoing custody. In hazmat work, keeping a proper chain of custody for samples ensures credible results and a defensible trail if the matter is examined later.